Electric fences



y 31, 1956- F. J. MEINEN 2,756,969

ELECTRIC FENCES Filed Nov. 19, 1953 AVAVAVAVA A KYQ (\VAVAVAVAY/AVAVWA 1 Away/w? flewvm/ Awvaw United States Patent ELECTRIC FENCES Frank J. Meinen, Chippewa Falls, Wis. Application November 19, .1953, Serial No. 393,104

7 Claims. (Cl. 256- 1'0) This invention relates to improvements in electric fences and particularly to insulators and posts for electric fences for confining livestock in pastures, feed lots and corrals.

My invention has for its principal object to provide an electric fence which is adapted to be constructed quickly and easily, requiring a minimum of skill in the construction work.

A further and particular object is to provide an inexpensive electric insulator adapted to be placed in engagement with an electric conductor and fence post manually and with a minimum of effort.

The invention also includes certain other novel featuresof construction which will be more fully pointed out in the following specification and claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, by way of example and not for the purpose of limitation:

Figure l is an elevational view showing a portion of a fence embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a somewhat enlarged elevational view showing one of my improved insulators in engagement with an electric conductor and in a position in relation to the upper end of a post which is assumed in preparation for placing the insulator in engagement with the post;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view showing the insulator in place on the post and in the normal operative position in relation to the conductor;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view showing one of the insulators, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged end view of the insualtor.

My improved insulator is constructed from a suitable dielectric material such as a suitable moldable plastic material, hard rubber or rubber-like material, or ceramic. It has a tubular body 6 from the outer periphery of which projects a pair of rigid lugs 7. These lugs are spaced apart circumferentially of the body 6 and each is formed with an upwardly open recess 8 in its upper surface and a downwardly open recess 9 in its lower surface adapted to receive a fence wire or electric conductor 10. The body 6 has an interior surface 11 of substantially cylindrical shape and is adapted to fit loosely about a fence post 12. Projecting at opposite sides from the exterior surface of the body 6 are ribs 13 which reinforce it and facilitate the manipulation of the insulator during the operation of attaching the conductor to and detaching it from the insulator and post. The lugs 7 are reinforced by a horizontally extending member 14 which connects them, being formed integrally with the body 6.

My improved posts 12 are preferably constructed from steel rods such as those used to reinforce concrete. At suitable intervals along the rods they are formed With rejections 12a which guard aganist the accidental detachment of the insulator from the post. Such steel rods of approximately inch thickness have adequate strength and are otherwise well suited for the construction of my fence. The conductor preferably comprises a gal- 2,756,969 Patented July 31, 1956 vanized steel wire of suitable gauge, e. g., 17 gauge. Such steel wire has advantages over the use of copper wire because the copper wire is less visible to the livestock and is subject to excessive stretching when under a desirable degree of tension.

In constructing my improved fence, the electric conductor 10 is first extended along the site of the fence and is placed under moderate tension. The posts 12 may then be driven at suitable intervals along the conductor, using a hammer for the purpose, and are allowed to project from the ground to a height which is dependent on the kind of livestock to be confined. The conductor is then attached to each post by the use of one of my improved insulators. An insulator is first placed in engagement with the conductor, at an angle to the post, as indicated in Fig. 2. The conductor is thus engaged in the upwardly open notch 8 in one lug 7 and in the downwardly open notch 9 in the other lug. This requires no force because the axis of the insulator body is held at an angle to the post for this operation. As the next step the conductor is raised to an elevation slightly above the upper end of the post and is forcibly turned to align the insulator with the post while the insulator, with the conductor attached, is slipped over the upper end of the post and released at the required elevation.

During this final attaching movement, the conductor 10 is bent and placed under increased tension so that a portion 10a thereof extending between the lugs 7 is inclined relative to the portions of the conductor extending between posts, as best shown in Fig. 3. Since the conductor is under tension so directed as to angularly bias the insulator body in the plane of the axis of the post, the insulator is caused to firmly grip the post at the adjusted elevation. Accidental displacement of the insulator is further guarded against by the projections 12a on the post. As a further result of the angular bias of the insulator, the conductor is securely held in the recesses 8 and 9 as long as the conductor remains under even slight tension.

It will be evident that my improved fence may be constructed quickly and easily and it may also be moved from place to place quickly and easily. No tools of any kind are required for the attachment of the conductor to the posts and the necessary simple manipulation of the insulator can best be performed by hand.

Engagement of the lugs 7 with the conductor is facilitated by providing recesses in both the upper and lower surfaces of each lug 7. For example, instead of using the recesses shown in engagement with the conductor, the upper recess 8 in the lug 7 at the left of Figs. 2 and 3 may be used with the lower recess 9 in the lug 7 at the right, if this happens to be more convenient for the user.

It will be evident that an important feature of my invention resides in my provision for utilizing the tension of the conductor to hold it in place in recesses in the lugs when the insulator is in place on the post. Another advantageous feature resides in the utilization of the tension in the conductor to bias the tubular insulator body so that it grips the post. Both of these desirable results are obtained by construction which causes the conductor to be bent merely by the act of placing the insulator in engagement with the post after engaging the conductor with the lugs. It will be understood that the present invention includes such modifications of the construction herein described in detail as are within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An insulator for attaching an electric conductor to a supporting member comprising; a tubular body member formed from dielectric material and adapted to embrace the supporting member, a pair of lugs projecting in spaced relation one to the other from the periphery of said body, each of said lugs being formed with a recess adapted to receive said electric conductor and the recess in one of said lugs being so ofiset from the recess in the other lug as to cause the conductor to be confined in said recesses when the insulator is attached to the supporting member with the conductor extending in said recesses.

2. An improved insulator as set forth in claim 1 Wherein the recess in one of said lugs is so oifset from the recess in the other lug as to cause the conductor to be bent when the insulator is attached to the supporting member with the conductor extending in said recesses.

33. An improved insulator as set forth in claim 1 wherein the recess formed in one of said lugs is offset longitudinally of said tubular body relative to the recess formed in the other lug.

4. For a fence having posts and a flexible electric cnductor extending adjacent to said posts, an improved insulator for attaching said conductor to one of said posts comprising; a tubular body member formed from dielectric material and adapted to embrace the post, a pair of lugs projecting in horizontally spaced relation from the periphery of said body, each of said lugs being formed with a recess adapted to receive said electric conductor and the recess in one of said lugs being located normally at a higher elevation than the recess in the other lug, whereby the conductor may be bent by manipulation of the insulator so that a portion of the conductor between said lugs extends obliquely relative to the other portions of the conductor.

5. In an electric fence the combination of metal posts having approximately cylindrical exterior surfaces and integral projections on said surfaces, an electric wire extending between said posts adjacent to a side thereof and an insulator connecting said wire to a post and comprising; a tubular body formed from dielectric material and embracing the post and projections thereon, a pair of lugs projecting in horizontally spaced relation from the outer periphery of said tubular body, each of said lugs being formed with a recess adapted to receive said conductor and the recess in one of said lugs being located at a higher elevation than the recess in the other lug, whereby the conductor is bent to extend at an incline between said lugs when the insulator is attached to the post.

6. An insulator for fastening an electric conductor to a rigid supporting member comprising, an elongated tubular body formed from dielectric material having a central axial opening adapted to fit loosely over said supporting member and a pair of lugs projecting in spaced relation one to the other from the periphery of said body, each of said lugs being formed with a recess adapted to receive said electric conductor, the recess in one of said lugs being so offset from the recess in the other lug as to cause the conductor when in engagement with said lugs in said recesses and under tension to be secured in said recesses by the act of placting the insulator body in embracing relation to said supporting member, tension in the conductor also causing said tubular body to be tilted laterally of the axis thereof to frictionally engage the supporting member.

7. The insulator set forth in claim 6 wherein said recesses formed in said lugs are olfset one from the other longitudinally of the tubular body so that the conductor is bent at an incline between said lugs when the insulator is attached to said support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,447,251 Huette Aug. 17, 1948 2,451,530 Beard Oct. 19, 194-8 2,502,882 Perkins Apr. 4, 1950 2,574,052 Metcalf Nov. 6, 1951 

